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Where’s your ambition?

I’m a bookkeeper for an NGO. Because of my competence and capabilities, I’m often asked, why I don’t study to become an accountant.

The answer is simple; I don’t want to.

Back in high school (3000 years ago), I didn’t know what I wanted to do after I matriculated. Everyone assumed I’d go into the field of arts but I needed a career that would guarantee me an income. After an extremely boring experience during ‘work shadow’, the one thing I did know was that I didn’t want to be stuck in an office. At the last-minute I applied atCPUTto study horticulture, second choice being nature conservation. One year later, I dropped out because:

a) it was more scientific (and mechanical!) than just a bunch of hippies sitting around a tree they just planted singing Kumbaya. I mean why would you need to know how the pistons in a lawn mower worked for goodness sake. I have a mechanic on speed dial, hellooo.

b) I was allergic to every plant I walked by and every grain of soil I touched.

The following year I spent 6 months off, lets call it a Gap Year. July I was offered a job, I wasn’t even looking for one but I went for an interview and the lady didn’t even want to see my CV. I guess she liked what she saw or she was desperate, she wanted me to start the next Monday. She taught me everything I needed to know and sent me on a part-time course for Basic Bookkeeping. I’m a fast learner when it comes to Software so learning the program was as easy as WordPress. Despite all the free education I was grateful for, I still after 2.9 years felt I needed to get out of there. The environment was very strict and I started to hate every minute, going to the bathroom was like being saved from suffocation.

The job I applied for during that time, didn’t come through but I was lucky enough to be referred by the agent to another job. This job is a 15 minute drive away from home and I have bigger responsibilities, a better salary and it’s a better environment to be in.

So here I sit in the office, I never wanted to be in, completely content with my current job. I don’t make mega bucks and yes I know I can do the accountant’s job, but do I want to?

I looked at part-time courses yesterday, it seems a natural way to progress in my career but honestly, I’m not passionate enough to study the subject. Even if I did, there’s not enough time in the day as it is. Maybe when my bambino is a bit older and I’m not using him as an excuse but for now I’m happy being just a bookkeeper.

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13 responses to “Where’s your ambition?”

Being happy with what you have is the secret to life me thinks. I’m doing my Masters after 8 years of study and it is hard. I look forward to earning a salary eventually. I love what I do. It gives me great joy. It took me 5 years after school to find my place. I was a waiter, a computer programmer, a graphic designer, a massage therapist, I made massage oils, was a call centre operator and even did promotions selling cigarettes.

If you had asked me 10 years ago that this is were I’d be I’d have laughed.

For now your job gives you exactly what you need so I think it is perfect in that sense. You can change the world when you feel the need to but for now enjoy all the things that make you happy that having a stable job allows you.

Some people (including me) would say that contentment is, in itself, a blessing. There are people who seem to have the most impressive careers, but are never contented with where they are in life- always restless and dissatisfied. Personally, I prefer contentment.